Social networking tools are increasingly used by people as a primary form of communication with family and friends, as well as for contacting lesser-known acquaintences and strangers. While social networking websites and applications facilitate communication between people over a variety of platforms, users of such websites and applications often unknowingly expose a great deal personal information to others, including the public. While individuals may be aware of the risks of sharing personal information with others, they are often left with few choices for contacting people in a more secure manner using conventional social networking tools. For example, when an individual establishes a connection with another user via FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN, or a dating site, the individual may end up sharing a great deal of personal information with the other user via the the individual's online profile and user history.
Oversharing of personal information on social networking platforms may leave individuals vulnerable to attack both online and in the real world. For example, a malicious party may use personal information associated with a person's online profile information to determine the person's physical address, phone number, and/or email address in order to harass the person. Additionally, an individual's personal attributes may be used to set up fake online profiles that appear to belong to the individual and that are exploited for various purposes without the individual's consent or knowledge. In some instances, information associated with an individual's social networking profile and activities may be exploited to gain access to personal online accounts belonging to the individual. The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses a need for systems and methods for facilitating negotiation and exchange of information between parties.